Archive for April 24th, 2009
Man shot by former father-in-law during an altercation
Dallas, Texas – A 42-year-old Midlothian man was fatally shot Friday night, Arlington police said.
Rodney Kennedy was in his ex-wife’s home when he was shot by his former father-in-law, 67, police said. The shooting happened at 10 p.m. during an altercation, according to reports.
The shooting occurred in the 1400 block of South Pecan Street, near the University of Texas at Arlington. More on Star-Telegram.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )High school student shot to death while biking to school
FORT BLISS, Texas — A Chapin High School student who would have graduated in June was shot and killed Friday morning, allegedly by a soldier. The bullet felled Ezra Gerald Smith, 18, who was riding his bike to school in a military housing area near Fort Bliss.
Army Spc. Gerald Polanco allegedly shot Smith dead about 7:50 a.m., Fort Bliss officials said.
Polanco, 37, also was charged with shooting and wounding another soldier.Polanco was in a home when he allegedly opened fire. Both victims were outside, said Maj. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, commanding officer at Fort Bliss.
The second victim, a male soldier whose name was withheld by post administrators, was in stable condition at Beaumont Army Medical Center. Bromberg said the soldier had non-life-threatening wounds.
Twenty minutes after the gunfire, Polanco turned himself in to military police and was arrested. Bromberg could offer no possible motive for the shootings. More on El Paso Times
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man confronting officers shot to death
Houston, Texas –
Houston police fatally shot an armed man Friday during an exchange of gunfire at a southeast side public housing complex, officials said.
Officers confronted the man, identified by relatives as Jose Vides, while they were investigating a disturbance with a weapon call shortly after 3 p.m. at the Southlawn Palms apartments at Southlawn and Scott.
“When they arrived, the suspect was holding a gun. They gave repeated commands for the suspect to drop the weapon,” said Jodi Silva, a police spokeswoman.
Ryland Thompson, who lives at the apartments, saw the officers ordering Vides to put the pistol on the ground.
“He turned and fired at them and they returned fire,” Thompson said.
HPD officials said Vides moved toward the officers, continuing to shoot as they sought cover.
“He (Vides) walked out there like he was Billy the Kid,” Thompson said.
The three HPD officers fired back at Vides. He fell to the ground but continued reaching for his pistol, police said. Vides, 25, was shot at least once more and died at the scene, police said.
Thompson said he saw Vides arguing with a wrecker driver in the parking lot just prior to the officers arrival. “The guy was mad about his car being towed,” Thompson said. More on Houston Chronicle
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot and killed a local policeman, critically wounded another
GRANBERRY CROSSROADS, Alabama – A Henry County man weilding a gun threatened a neighbor woman; shot and killed a local policeman; shot and critically injured a Henry County deputy; and held authorities at bay before being killed in a shootout with police.
Friday’s tragic events began about 2 in the afternoon when a neighbor woman seeking better cell phone service near the store. As she sat in her truck, Davis came up from behind, armed with a shotgun. He fired a round in the air and reloaded before he reached into her truck and removed some papers. The woman, law enforcement said, became more frightened after Davis told her to gather her family close.
Smothers said his wife telephoned him at work and when he got home about two hours later, the two of them drove up to the store, called law enforcement and waited.
Henry County Sheriff’s Deputy Ted Yost was first to arrive, with Reserve Officer Mickey Gillis.
“When he got there, he pulled in the front yard and got out to knock on the door,” Maddox said. “The man came around and ambushed him and shot three or four times with a shotgun. It looks like he hit him more than once in the shoulder, head and face area.”
Gillis, who lacked the training of a certified police officer, picked up the radio and sent out the ominous message: “Officer down.”
Law enforcement agencies from throughout the area responded as Yost lay bleeding and Gillis was penned down behind the deputy’s car. More on Dothan Eagle
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Gun Deaths in the United States 